Being a pedestrian can be a nerve wracking experience. While I drive a lot, I usually park a significant distance away from where I am supposed to be in case I want to avoid traffic and leave early. It’s a classic introvert move. Last summer when I traveled to France I walked everywhere. Well, with the exception of the occasional water taxi. I must say that the drivers in Europe operate on an unspoken set of rules I never understood. Instead I was thankful that I didn’t decide driving in a foreign country was something I had to do. I wanted hundreds of near accidents that involved cars, buses, and people walking. Cars just refused to yield to people walking so you had to move out the way or suffer the consequences. Needless to say, I was very alert and cautious when walking and crossing streets. I guess the fact that I was alone the entire time helped me to be more cautious. I recently moved and my apartment complex reminds me of a smaller version of French streets. People pull out without looking and race around searching for a parking spot and forget about the possibility that someone could be walking. My nerves have improved since France so it’s not a big deal to me anymore. It just means I have to be more aware of my surroundings. That’s always a good thing.
Tag Archives: cars
Texting while Driving
I should probably start this off by saying that this is satire. It is not true. I love satire and sarcasm and this article was a great subtle combination of both. That being said, texting and driving is dangerous and should not be done. There have been many times I’ve seen people almost drive off the road because they were buried in their phones or other devices and their attention was split. That being said, if you have absolutely no multi-tasking ability putting your phone away while you drive is a good idea. If you happen to have that ability, stop lights and stop signs are probably the better option for texting instead of doing it while speeding at 75 mph down the highway. Less chance for error. Just saying.
Car Envy
I love cars. I don’t necessarily always concern myself with all the details of the engine strength and how many horsepower they have, but I definitely love the style, speed, and sleekness of certain cars. This appreciation comes by way of my dad who likes cars as well. Growing up, we took hundreds of road trips and car-watching was one of the many pastimes we did in order to use up time. Many a time my dad would say “look at that car, it’s sharp,” as we would be speeding past it–courtesy of his heavy foot and a really good radar detector.
As I’ve grown older, I’ve developed an appreciation for guys that drive decent cars. I’ve had to remind myself many times that I need to care more about what drives the man than what the man drives. Easier said than done, but possible. There’s just something to be said about a nice looking person driving a nice looking car.
When I see these absolutely gorgeous cars I always ask myself if I would buy one. The spontaneous part of my definitely would because it would be nice to actually enjoy driving and to be comfortable while going from point A to point B. However, the reasonable and logical side of me argues that a car is a liability. Period. You never make money off of buying a car. A house can increase in value, but a car doesn’t. However, there’s the added bonus of the fact that I drive a car with a manual transmission so that skill would make the experience of owning a manual transmission luxury vehicle even that much more amazing. But I have to remember that buying a car means that the money for its upkeep and maintenance is coming out of my own pocket. Therefore, buying a nice, stylish, decent car without having all my ducks lined up in a row may not be the smartest decision ever made.
So, I’ve put my car buying dreams on hold until I can both afford and enjoy it without mentally kicking myself about the monthly payments I agreed to. All in good time….
Alisha's Angle 